1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to laser printers. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a modified laser printer cartridge device that is inserted into a laser printer for cleaning loose debris and residual toner from a paper transport platform and bias transfer roller.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Laser printing is a type of computer printer that is utilized throughout business and industry for producing high quality printed material in a rapid manner. These devices utilize a laser beam that projects images or text onto a rotating bias transfer roller, which is electrically charged with negative ions to form a pattern. The laser beam neutralizes areas of the roller that will have toner transferred thereto to form a shape, image or text. The toner is then transferred onto a sheet of paper as the roller is pressed against the paper surface. This type of printing utilizes a xerographic printing process, which has been refined to produce printing machines that can produce a high volume of printed output in a rapid manner, far superior to the capability of inkjet printers. The amount of toner consumed is also reduced when compared to comparable inkjet printers, which reduces replacement costs for the owner.
Over the course of printing volumes of pages, residual toner, paper dust and other particles are commonly left behind, which can create a foreign object debris sources that could affect the operation of the printing device if not properly cleaned and maintained. Residual toner is often found on the bias transfer roller, which paper dust and other debris settle onto the paper transport platform and on other interior areas of the printer. Common tools to clean this residue includes manually cleaning and wiping components of the printer during defined maintenance intervals, providing an imbedded brush or cleaning device that physically removes toner or particles from the roller assembly, or replacing parts altogether with new, clean parts after a specific period.
Maintenance is usually carried out by technicians who are trained on the specific device and who are knowledgeable of its design and components. Regular service intervals ensure the printer will continue functioning as designed over a given time period. These maintenance procedures, however, are costly for the owner of the printer, and increase downtime of the device wherein no printing may occur. The present invention therefore is provided to provide a user with the ability to clean a laser printer when replacing an empty printer toner cartridge. The present invention is a device that can be installed in place of the existing cartridge, and provides a means to inject compressed air into the device for collection of loose debris and paper dust, which is secured to the interior of the device prior to its removal. A drive gear with adhesive cleans the bias transform roller of residual toner, which can cause clarity and imperfections in printed material if not removed. The goal is to prolong the life of the particular printer, and to reduce the number of service calls for maintenance and cleaning of the printer.
Devices have been developed in the prior art that pertain to cleaning printers. These include cartridge cleaning devices for inkjet printers and imbedded cleaning devices within laser printers. These devices lack the elements of the present invention, which is easily installed, provides a means to clean a laser printer device and can be discarded or cleaned for future use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,754,197 to Shibata describes a cleaning cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising a housing similar to a standard inkjet printer cartridge that has imbedded mechanisms for cleaning the printer printhead and removing debris therefrom. It includes imbedded battery power, and may dispense ink solvent, lubricant or staticide to various printer components. The Shibata device is a novel means for removing residual toner and debris from an inkjet printer; however it is not designed for use with a laser printer, wherein a bias transfer roller is utilized to transfer toner to a sheet of paper. The present invention provides a cartridge housing having compressed air inlet means and a bias transfer roller cleaner, specifically intended for laser printers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,959 to Gooray describes a copier or printer having a transfer station that includes an improved debris-removing means that locates baffles and vacuum ports within the device, allowing for the collection and removal of the debris at specific locations. An electrical bias is selectively applicable to some of the baffles to attract the debris, while the vacuum operates continuously to remove the dirt and debris from within the printer or copier device. While the Gooray device describes a novel improvement to a copier or printer, wherein a debris removal system is described, its construction relies on integration into the design of the printer or copier prior to being delivered and used. The present invention provides a printer cartridge housing, having the same dimensions or fitment as a standard laser printer cartridge for a given printer, within which is provided a cavity to collect dirt, debris and paper dust by use of injected compressed air. The printer bias transfer roller is also cleaned using a drive gear drive roller located on the printer cartridge device.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,785 to Ogawa describes a residual toner removing apparatus comprising a cleaning brush, a duct section with a filter and a suction section operated by an air flow fan. Toner particles are removed from the bias transfer roller and collected by the apparatus for improved operation thereof. The Ogawa device utilizes a brush that sweeps debris and residual toner from the outer surface of a transfer roller, and further includes a means to suction and remove the removed debris once liberated from the roller surface. This device is useful for manually cleaning a roller, but lacks a means to collect debris and paper dust from the interior of a printer that is not attached to the roller, namely within the transport platform and open areas near a printer cartridge installation position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,736 to Sakamoto describes an apparatus for collecting charged toner particles in combination with a fur brush cleaning device, which is useful for cleaning transfer type electro-photographic copying machines. The device utilizes a charge and a blade device to remove residual toner and to collect airborne toner particles from an air flow, cleaning a printer or photocopier. The device construction and intent differ from that of the present invention, as the present device utilizes compresses air, tacky interior surfaces within a cavity and a bias transfer roller cleaner to remove toner and debris.
The present invention provides a laser printer cleaning cartridge that inserts into a toner cartridge working position on a laser printer, comprising an interior cavity having adhesive foam tape on the walls to collect dust, dirt and debris from within the paper transport platform. A drive roller with a tacky outer surface contacts the bias transfer roller of a laser printer, removing residual toner from previous printing operations and cleaning the surface thereof. Located through the cleaning cartridge is a plurality of apertures that allow insertion of compressed air therein, stirring loose contents within the printer and adhering them to the cartridge cavity walls. The design of the present invention, and its means for cleaning substantially diverge in elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing laser printer cleaning devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.